Cushioned shoe



p 4 1950 N5. AUANIELLO CUSHIONED SHOE Filed Dec. 20, 1948 Patented Apr. 4, 195i) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cUsmoNEn sHoE Nicholas Alianiello, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Application December zo, 194s, serial No. 66,167 s claims. (c1. afs-28) This invention relates to shoes and has for its principal objectl to provide a new and improved construction whereby sponge rubber cushioning means are incorporated in the sole and heel of the shoe in a novel manner to absorb the shocks and jars to which the foot and consequently the body of the wearer are subjected.

Although I am aware it is not broadly new to employ sponge rubber or other shock absorbing cushioning means in the construction of shoes, the manner in which it has heretofore been proposed to use such cushioning means is subject to the objection that the cushions frequently became displaced during usage and would become balled or rolled to form objectionable bulges.

Furthermore, the operation of fabricating the shoe has been complicated by the use of the sponge rubber or other cushioning means which tended to create an unwieldy bulge around the marginal edges of the shoe where it is necessary to sew the welt to the insoles and to the uppers of the shoe.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved construction that will obviate the objectionable features above referred to and to provide a new and improved construction by means of which the manufacturing operations will be markedly simplied.

A further object is to provide a new and improved construction for a shoe which has incorporated therewith foam or sponge rubber cushion inserts which are associated with a relatively stiff sole leather insole and in such a manner as to provide cushioning means under the ball of the foot and heel cf the wearer where cushioning means are most needed to absorb shocks to which the foot is subjected.

Another object is to provide a shoe construc I tion comprising a relatively stiff leather insole provided with cut-out portions or sockets in which the sponge rubber cushioning means are inserted and securely fastened so as to prevent relative movement between the cushioning means and insole during customary usage.

As it is highly important when sponge or foam rubber cushioning means are employed in the construction of a shoe to prevent any seepage of water into the sponge rubber cushions which tend to retain the water in the interstices of the sponge rubber, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved storm welt construction that will entirely obviate any seepage of water between the uppers and soles of the shoe and thence into the sponge rubber inserts.

A further object of the invention is to incorporate an. arch-grip or support as a part of the shoe as originally constructed.

I'he above .and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and wherein Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a shoe constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are vertical cross sections taken on the lines 2-2, 3 3 and 4--4 locking in the direction of the arrows appearing at the ends of said section lines.

As shown in the drawing. the numeral Il indicates an insole of relatively stii sole leather which extends from a point adjacent the front to a point adjacent the rear part of the shoe. As the first step in constructing the shoe, this insole I0 is cut away at the heel portion thereof to provide a shelf-like portion Ii bounded by a vertical shoulder I2 (see Figs. 1 and 4). A cushion or pad I3, preferably of sponge or foam rubber, has its marginal edges resting upon the shelf II and confined against lateralmovement by the shoulder I2, the sponge rubber pad being securely cemented to the shelf I I and shoulder I2. Immediately underneath the major central part of the sponge rubber pad I3 the insole is preferably cut out to provide a hole as indicated at il (Figs. 1 and 2). This hole, after the sponge rubber cushion has been inserted and cemented in place, is preferably filled with a layer of cork IS which can be either in the form of a. sheet of cork or a powdered cork filler that can be applied in paste form While hot and cemented or otherwise securely fastened to the underface of the sponge rubber cushion. Y

immediately under the ball portion of the Wearers foot, the leather insole is also cut away to provide a shelf I1 and shoulder Il similar to the shelf and shoulder II and l2, a cushion I9 also preferably of sponge rubber being placed upon the shelf Il and cemented to said shelf and shoulder i8 in the same manner as described in connection with the cushion I3. The insole immediately under the major portion of the cushion I9 is also cut away, as indicated at 2li, to form a hole which is iledwith a cork insert 2i similar to the insert I6 and which is securely cemented to the underface of the cushion I9.

After the insole I0 has been cut away to form the shelves and shoulders II, I1 and I2, I8, respectively, the cushions I3 and I 9 have been securely cemented in place and the cork inserts also being placed within the holes I4 and 2li and likewise cemented to the underface of the cushions I3 and I9, the insole I0 then forms a complete assembly. An innermost sole, or sock lining, 21 of soft leather, such, for example, as goatskin is next securely cemented on its underside to the top of the insole assembly with the edge of the inner sole lapped around and completely covering the entire marginal edge of the stiff leather insole assembly as indicated at 28.

A storm welt is next prepared by folding a piece of soft leather 22, such, for example, as the type of leather used for the shoes uppers, about a piece of twine 23 or other suitable cordage. This storm welt comprising the strip of leather 22 with the cordage 23 confined at its outer edge is then sewn, preferably by hand, to the usual main welt 25 when the latter is sewn to the marginal portion of the stiff sole leather insole I and to the marginal lower portion of the vamp 30 by stitches 2B, the storm welt 22, 23 being located on top of the main welt and being squeezed or compressed tightlyY by the stitches 26 between the marginal underside of the vamp 30 and the top face of the main welt 25 so as to form a tight seal that is impervious to moisture and effectively prevents the entry or seepage of water into the inner sole and sponge rubber cushions I3 and I9. The main welt 25 is provided with the usual groove 25-0. which serves as a guide for the location of the stitches 3l by means of which the outer sole 32 of the shoe is secured to the main welt 25 and thence through the stitches 26 to the vamp or upper of the shoe.

As will be seen from the foregoing, the foam rubber cushion pads i3 and I9 are localized lmmediately under the heel and under the ball of the wearers foot; those portions which are subjected to the greatest shock in walking, the cork inserts I6 and 2l, also serving to supplement the cushioning effect of the foam rubber cushions I3 and IS, The portion IIl-a of the insole I0 that lies between the cushions I3 and I9 and is located immediately under the metatarsal arch is not provided with any cushioning means because in a normal foot this portion of the foot does not come into contact with the portion III--a of the insole. The usual steel shank (not shown) may be provided between the outer sole 32 and insole I0 under the portion Ill-a of the latter. As shown in Fig. 4, this portion of the insole is preferably extended as indicated at IIl-b in Fig. 3 to form, what is known as, an arch grip to furnish support to the highest part of the metatarsal arch on the inner side thereof at the point where support is most needed for this portion of the foot.

As will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a flat marginal ledge 33 approximately one-half inch in width extends around the ball and toe portion of the shoe and a similar fiat ledge 34 also of a width of approximately one-half inch extends around the heel portion, thus obviating the objectional bulge or thickness that otherwise would be present if the sponge rubber cushion were extended entirely across and over the entire insole.

The cutting away of the stiff leather insole to provide the ledges II and I1 and bounding shoulder I2 upon which the cushions I3 and I9, respectively, are placed and held against lateral movement by the bounding shoulders I1 and I8, respectively, together with the cementing of the rubber cushions to the ledges and shoulders securely prevents any movement of the rubber cushionings from their proper positions beneath the heel and ball portions of the wearers foot when the shoe is in use. Likewise the covering of the entire insole assembly with the sock lining 2l and the cementing of the lower face of the latter to the rubber cushions and insole. together with the lapping of the marginal edge of the sock lining around the edge of the insole I0, which marginal edges are also securely cemented together also serves to hold the cushions Securely in position. Furthermore, the cutting away of substantial portions of the stiff, relatively heavy leather insole and the use of the sponge rubber cushions and cork inserts in the cutaway portions of the shoe make the shoe much lighter in weight than if the entire insole were covered by a sponge rubber cushion. y

My improved shoe construction as heretofore described may therefore be employed in shoes for womens evening wear in which all 0f the advantages of the use of sponge rubber cushions may be employed without making the shoes any heavier or more bulky than shoes of standard construction. The construction is also especially adapted for use in custom made ice skating boots, the foam rubber cushions being highly effective for absorbing the shocks to which the skater's foot is subjected when executing the various jumps which are performed by figure skaters and the light weight of the shoes being very desirable for ligure ice skating boots.

In the fabrication of the insole assembly, the cork inserts are preferably made slightly thicker than that part of the insole which defines or bounds the apertures I4, I8 so that the inserts initially project slightly below the bottom surface of the insole. When, however, the stiff leather bottom outer sole is secured by means of the main welt 25 and stitches 3l to the insole, the cork inserts and cushioning pads I3 and I9 are forced upwardly and compressed upwardly to bring the lower surfaces of the cork inserts flush with the lower surface of the insole Il.

While I have described and illustrated a satisfactory and preferred constructional example, it will, of course, be understood that many changes, variations and modifications of the specific constructional example illustrated may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims hereonto appended.

I claim:

1. In a shoe, a relatively stiff sole leather insole having the major portions thereofimmediately under the ball and the heel of the wearers foot cut away to form through apertures and a supporting ledge bounding each aperture, and resilient cushioning means supported on and securely cemented to said ledge.

2. In a shoe, a relatively stiff sole leather insole having the major portions thereof immediately under the ball and the heel of the wearer's foot cut away to form through apertures and a supporting ledge bounding each aperture, and resilient cushioning means supported on and securely cemented to said ledge and cork inserts filling said apertures below said cushioning means and being securely cemented to the undersurface thereof.

3. In a shoe, an insole assembly comprising a relatively stiff sole leather insole having a marginal border extending substantially horizontally inwardly from the entire peripheral edge thereof, a pair of resilient cushioning pads. one at the heel and the other at the ball portion of said insole and projecting above said marginal border, said insole being provided with apertures below the major portions of said pads, cork inserts in said apertures integrally united to the underfaces of said pads and having their lower faces substantially flush with the lower surface of said insole, and a soft ilexible leather sock lining covering the entire top face of said insole, said pads and said marginal border, and overlapping the periphery of said insole and being cemented thereto and to the top surface of said cushioning pads and insole.

4. In a shoe, an insole having a plane marginal substantially horizontal border extending inwardly from its entire periphery, a pair of recessed substantially horizontal supporting ledges extending inwardly from said marginal border and terminating at said border in a substantially vertical shoulder, one of the pair of said recessed ledges being located under the ball portion and the other under the heel portion of said insole, and resilient cushioning means seated upon said ledges and being securely cemented thereto and y to said shoulders to prevent movement of said cushioning means relatively to said insole, said insole havinga through aperture under the major part of each of said cushioning means and a cork insert lling said aperture, having its upper surface cemented to the undersurface of said cushioning means and having its undersurface substantially flush with the undersurface of said y insoles.

5. In a shoe, an insole having a plane marginal substantially horizontal border extending inwardly from its entire periphery, a pair of recessed substantially horizontal supporting ledges extending inwardly from said marginal border and terminating at said border in a substantially vertical shoulder, one of the pair of said recessed ledges being located under the ball'pcrtion and the other under the heel portion of said insole, and resilient cushioning means seated upon said ledges and being securely cementedthereto and to said shoulders to prevent movement of said cushioning means relatively to said insole, said insole having a through aperture under the major part of each of said cushioning means, a cork insert filling said aperture/having its upper surface cemented to the undersurface of said cushioning means and having its undersurface substantiallyl insole.

NICHOLAS AHANIELLQ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this tpatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 30 Number Namel Date 963,694 Dunn July 5, 1910 1,775,439 Noble Sept. 9, 1930 

